Financial Planning

My Farm & Ranch: Transitioning and Retirement Planning

If you haven’t thought about your own legacy, please do. In order to help you get off on the right foot, here are some things you need to consider. We call it the “Who, What, When, How, Sam and Plan Approach.”

Have the Urge to Own Your Home Free and Clear?

There are situations where paying down a mortgage makes perfect money sense. However,there is a good chance your situation is not one of these.

3 Great Ways to Help Your Child Save

The first thing that comes to everyone’s mind
when you begin to discuss saving for your child’s future is…college savings. But
what if your child does not go to college? What if they need a down payment to
purchase their first home? What if they are faced with an unexpected hardship? There
are countless what if’s in life and there
are not two people that will face... 

What Will Happen if You Get Sued?

Will you stand to lose some of your hard-earned money,income or assets? Or will it be protected? Do you know for sure?
 One evening while driving home, you glance down to adjust the radio. When you look back up, you are inches away from broadsiding a bus.Several passengers are seriously injured, resulting in a major law suit.
 Again, will your assets...

6 Lessons Learned from the Great Recession - Part 4

Well…if you have been a buy and hold investor, your portfolio will probably answer this with a resounding “No!” Though after reading the many headlines of any major financial news during late 2008, 2009 or 2010 you might think that...

6 Lessons Learned from the Great Recession - Part 3

There is a major issue today that has left a large number of Americans speechless and motionless: The issue of integrity. 2008 and 2009 were treacherous. It was bad enough that we witnessed the development of...

6 Lessons Learned from the Great Recession - Part 2

Tiny or not, economic bubbles don’t make anything feel fine, especially not your retirement plan. The problem is that most bubbles are difficult to identify. Consequently, they are only recognized in retrospect...

6 Lessons Learned from the Great Recession - Part 1

Economists say the Great Recession ended in June 2009. Still, it hasn’t felt like it. Our economy is rough and the recovery we have experienced since June 2009 has been and will probably remain slow. Faced with this continuing...

A Tightwad and a Spendthrift

There is usually one of each in every family. So what makes some people stock away every dime they make and others oblivious to the concept of saving and always in debt? Interestingly enough, there has been extensive psychological research performed on the spending behaviors of individuals: why some people spend money frivolously and why some people don’t...

The Finance of Remarriage

Adults entering a remarriage are likely to bring assets, debts, obligations and established spending habits into the relationship. Since credit reports aren’t required for a marriage license – and you generally only see them when you apply for a mortgage together - "your new partner's finances are often unknown, even though you usually need to agree as a... 

The World Today is a Glass Half Full

The world is changing rapidly. There is growing uncertainty, fear and disbelief in our future. Ironically, this is not the biggest threat to your investments. Believe it or not, the annualized return for U.S. Stocks from 1985 to 2014 was 11.1%. The average investor’s return over this... 

Are You Planning for a Financial Drought?

Imagine spending your entire life building a business only to wake up at 63 and find it isn’t worth anything. Most of us think, “how sad, but that won't happen to my business…I have worked too hard or my industry is too strong or there will always be a need for what I do or...